The memo, prepared by Republicans on the House intelligence committee, says there was “a troubling breakdown of legal processes” in the Russia investigation
Good evening and happy Friday,
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
House Republicans release memo alleging surveillance abuses in Russia probe
U.S. House republicans say the memo shows surveillance abuses in the early stages of the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia. The memo, prepared by Republicans on the House intelligence committee, says there was "a troubling breakdown of legal processes" in the Russia investigation. The memo, which the FBI has said is inaccurate and missing critical context, asserts that opposition research conducted by a former British spy, Christopher Steele, "formed an essential part" of the initial application to receive the warrant. This is likely to further divide Trump and his FBI and Justice Department leaders.
Supreme Court rules tribunal can address pre-Confederation Indigenous grievances
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Friday that a tribunal set up to consider the historical grievances of Indigenous peoples can hold the Canadian government legally responsible for pre-Confederation acts of colonial governments. In a majority ruling from new Chief Justice Richard Wagner, the court decided that the Colony of British Columbia wrongly permitted settlers to take up Indigenous land in the Williams Lake area, 550 kilometres north of Vancouver, beginning in 1860. This was the court's first chance to rule on whether the tribunal has a kind of special status, as a body set up for reconciliation, which would send a message to the courts not to interfere.
China seeks to resume derailed free-trade talks with Ottawa
Finance Minister Bill Morneau spent time at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week with a trusted confidant and top economic adviser to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Mr. Morneau's senior adviser said they largely discussed how to boost bilateral trade. At the same time, the Communist Party's top diplomat paid a visit to Canada. Plans to launch formal free-trade talks went off the rails during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's trip to Beijing in late 2017 in part because the Chinese balked at Canada's demand to include labour standards in negotiations. (for subscribers)
24 Sussex repairs may be followed by work on Opposition Leader's house
Long-awaited plans to renovate the official Ottawa residence of the prime minister have been put on hold as the federal government explores a bigger and more expensive strategy that would also include repairs to the official residences of the leader of the opposition and the Speaker of the House of Commons, federal sources said. The renovation has long been a hot potato in Canadian politics, with successive governments hesitating to invest public funds in high-end accommodations. However, it is also seen as a necessity given the poor state of 24 Sussex, as laid out in a number of expert reports.
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MARKET WATCH
All three major U.S. stock indexes tumbled Friday with the Dow seeing its worst one-day percentage drop since June, 2016, as robust U.S. jobs data pushed up bond yields further and boosted chances of more interest rate hikes this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 665.75 points – falling as much as 670 points – or 2.54 per cent, to 25,520.96, the S&P 500 lost 59.98 points, or 2.13 per cent, to 2,762 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 144.92 points, or 1.96 per cent, to 7,240.95. The S&P and the Dow capped off their worst week in two years on Friday. For the week, the S&P fell 3.86 per cent, the Dow dropped 4.12 per cent and the Nasdaq was off 3.53 per cent. North of the border, Canada's main stock index fell on Friday as weakness in commodity prices fuelled a decline in shares of the heavyweight natural-resource sectors. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index fell 254.89 points, or 1.61 per cent, to 15,606.03.
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WHAT'S TRENDING
It's a battle of duelling groundhogs. Canada's two most famous furry forecasts issued different opinions Friday morning on whether there will be an early spring or more frigid temperatures. Ontario's Wiarton Willie saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter, while Nova Scotia's Shubenacadie Sam didn't see his, meaning spring is around the corner. South of the border, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow.
Larry Nassar was sitting in sentencing hearing for sexually abusing young gymnasts Friday when a father of three victims tried to attack him. Court guards tackled the father to the ground in front of his shocked daughters. The father rushed toward the former sports doctor after the judge declined his request for 'five minutes' alone with Mr. Nassar in a locked room. (for subscribers)
TALKING POINTS
It's the same as it ever was for women in politics
As a young reporter working in Ottawa in the 1980s, Carol Off quickly learned that the nation's capital is a shark tank, a place where power and privilege allow for the most boorish behaviour imaginable. Recent allegations of sexual misconduct, she says prove things haven't changed at all.
"I often berate myself for not having had the courage to speak out 30 years ago. And I'm convinced many men shared the view that this was wrong. But we all came to accept that this was a reality we could not alter. The status quo was too useful and too comfortable for too many. I doubt the offenders even see the affect their behaviour has on the lives, careers and psyches of the women they take for granted." – Carol Off
As 'Day Zero' approaches, Cape Town faces a waterless future
"We may be the first city to run out of water, but we definitely won't be the last, and the manner in which we see this crisis through could make a tremendous difference to how other cities learn to cope in the not-too-distant future. We've already figured out that politicians are lousy at contingency, because their terms only last so long and their budgets only stretch so far. That's going to need to change, because it turns out crisis prevention and disaster management end up being a lot more costly than taking a more cautious, long-term view, for both the public coffers and the party ratings" – Diana Neille
Philadelphia's tainted legacy of fandom faces test at Super Bowl
"There is a fine line between colourful and contemptible, and Philly fans are notorious for crossing it. The reputation for rudeness transcends any one sport and extends to the city's own teams – that is, the venom often flies verbally at Philly players for poor performance or just some nebulous quality known only to the boo-birds." – Bob Levin
LIVING BETTER
Winter can be a dark time, both literally and figuratively. It's typically when seasonal affective disorder occurs in the form of fatigue, irritability and depression. The culprit is the lack of bright light early in the morning that disrupts our mood, says one researcher. Now a wave of designers and artists, alongside medical professionals and wellness entrepreneurs, are increasingly using light to reset our mental landscapes and help us perceive our environments in new ways.
LONG READS FOR THE WEEKEND
Superstar Japanese artist Takashi Murakami opens stunner of a show in Vancouver
Entering the Takashi Murakami exhibition The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg is like bathing in brilliance; the bold and complicated beauty of the work is exactly the thing to jolt you out of your midwinter funk; an antidote to the blahs – or, if things are going well in your world, a complement to the la-la-las, writes Marsha Lederman. Yet for all its perky dazzle, the show has its dark moments, equally exciting on the eyeballs. The show opens in Vancouver this weekend, after breaking attendance records at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. It's easy to see why it was such a hit.
For cyclists who relish a real test, try a trip through the French Alps
The running joke was that "this is a challenge, not a vacation," writes Oliver Moore about his cycling trip through the French Alps. It was a massive undertaking: riding a 1,900-kilometre loop that includes 10 mountain passes in 10 days. By the end of the trip, Mr. Moore and his fellow riders would have climbed the equivalent of 4.5 times up Mount Everest, gone over the top of Ventoux and other famous peaks, run across defending Tour de France champion Chris Froome out on a training ride, sweated through record-breaking heat and eaten gargantuan amounts. It was a holiday that left him more tired than when he left, but after getting home, he had an urge to do it again.
Evening Update is written by Jordan Chittley and David Read. If you'd like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday evening, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.